This side comprised council workers, but they were backed by former Wimbledon chairman Headicar and it was he and Lieutenant General H. Kent who paid their initial County and London FA affiliation fees. Former Wimbledon players too, in Sandy Davidson and Johnny Canham, joined the fold and, on July 1, 1911 they de­cided to call themselves Wimbledon Borough FC, adopting the council's crest as their badge.

1912-13

How ironical that the local authority's lack of support should lead to the club's demise, initially, while their later encouragement should lead to its rebirth. For that is exactly what happened. Leytonstone FC had already set the precedent, by disbanding and reforming, and the Wimbledon Borough side were to follow suit, dropping the word 'Borough' from their title to compete again in the Surrey and London Senior Cups and the FA Cup proper for the 1912-13 campaign.

And there was a new ground as well, a move to Wimbledon's famous home of today, at the comer of Plough Lane and Haydons Road. The initial approaches for the site, disused swampland that was once a refuse dump, had been made during the club's one season layoff. Initially purchased leasehold, co-owner, Mr. Gill Knight, provided £50 towards the cost of necessary immediate improvements, while over the next two seasons the pitch was fenced in and the playing surface greatly improved; a dressing room was built; and a covered stand for 500 seating spectators erected.

Dramatic improvements, these, by a club written off, but by a club that just didn't know when to die. The first season at the new ground began on September 9,1912, but the first League points were a long time in coming, achieved in the Southern Suburban competition against South Tooting at the end of November. Although there were honours, in the form of a Knighthood, for the former president Holland, there was nothing else for the club to celebrate that season.

They finished bottom of the table, but had a new president in Lt. General Kent and new secretary in S. J. Meadows, who had taken over from Mr. C. A. Snook, the man who had led the club through its transformation. All the old faces were there, in Messrs. Anstee, Marks, Campion, Headicar, Spil­ler, Canham and Bitton, and there was again a genuine belief in the club.

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